Governors Sportsmen's Caucus Leadership Announced as Governors Gather in Washington

March 2, 2011 (Washington, DC)  — Members of the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus gathered with industry leaders at a reception on Saturday in the nation’s capitol and announced Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer  as Co-Chairs and Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe and New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez as Vice-Chairs.

The bipartisan Governors Sportsmen's Caucus (GSC), a group of sitting governors committed to protecting and promoting the interests and agenda of sportsmen and women now has 17 participating Governors.

“There is nothing more important to Montanans than being able to hunt, camp and fish and we know folks across the nation share that value,” said Gov. Schweitzer. “I look forward to working with my fellow governors of both parties to successfully manage our land, wildlife and natural resources at the state level.”

The event included five governors in attendance, including GSC Co-Chairs Barbour and Schweitzer, along with Vice-Chair Beebe, Governor Bev Perdue of North Carolina, and Governor Matt Mead of Wyoming, joining first ladies, staff, conservation and industry partners.

“Sportsmen activities generate billions of dollars for our economy and provide jobs for thousands of people in Mississippi,” said Gov. Barbour. “I am proud to have been one of the inaugural members of this Caucus and look forward to continuing our work with Congressional and state legislative leaders and state and federal management agencies in supporting our outdoor traditions.”

The Governors Sportsmen's Caucus was launched in 2009 and is guided by a bipartisan leadership team of governors and staffed through the State Program at the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) in Washington, DC.

“Sportsmen and the industries that serve them owe a debt of gratitude to the Governors of this Caucus,” said CSF President Jeff Crane.  “Despite their hectic schedules in Washington, these members of the Caucus attended our reception to display their dedication to working overtime to make sure sportsmen and the issues that affect us are protected.”

The caucus is charged with educating GSC member offices on public policy issues of importance to sportsmen; providing a conduit for hunting and fishing organizations to work with GSC member offices in support of pro-sportsmen’s policies and regulations; and developing a coordinated resource base for sportsmen’s policy issues addressed by the states.